Candle burning device



Feb. 7, 1939. J. M. POWERS I CANDLE BURNING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l m E m m E O v w m A Feb. 7, 1939. J M POWERS 2,146,441

CANDLE BURNING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. cfokfl 7V, Poll aka" I 7 6'6 7' BY ATTORNEYJ,

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 19, 1935, Serial No. 7,226 Renewed March 10, 1938 Claims. (CI. 6727) This specification is in part a continuation of my co-pending application No. 706,953 upon which Patent No. 1,998,024 issued April 16, 1935 and pertains to a device whereby candles, par- 5 ticularly those used in connection with religious ceremonies such as altar candles may be lighted and extinguished conveniently even when so situated as to be inaccessible, which device includes an improved type of candle which may be advantageously used in a preferred form of said invention.

As is well known, candles when so used are sometimes supported within hollow candlesticks constructed and decorated to simulate a candle supported in a holder. In such constructions the upper portion of the holder, 1. e., that made to represent a candle, is hollow and the candle itself is supported therein in such a fashion that the wick and the flame arising therefrom extend above the upper end of the false candle, whereby the effect of a burning candle which never shortens in length is produced.

In apparatus of the above described character the tubular false candle housing the actual candle is at its upper end provided with suitable stop means against which the actual candle is resiliently urged by means movably supporting the actual candle within the housing.

Devices of the above described character have a number of disadvantages which will be briefly enumerated so that the objects of the present invention may be more fully appreciated. The candles employed in the apparatus now commonly used are generally ignited by touching a lighted taper to the wick. This is a very uncertain and time-consuming method and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide means for igniting the candle characterized by simplicity of construction and operation and which positively insures that the candles will be ignited.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide improved means whereby the candles of a series may be extinguished either selectively or sequentially and in an improved manner.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a candle so constructed that its wick will cooperate with the lighting mechanism of my invention as an electrode and furnish a spark which will ignite the inflammable content of such wick.

In devices now in common use in which the actual candle is movably and resiliently supported within a false candle in the manner and for the purpose previously explained, considerable difiiculty is had with the means for so movably supporting the candles. The means employed in the prior art has usually constituted a coiled spring positioned in a compressed state between the lower end of the candle and the bottom of the candle recess in the holder. Such springs have been very expensive, uncertain in their action and generally unsatisfactory.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide means whereby the candle or candles may be fed upwardly into the proper burning position by means more positive in their action and so constructed that there is much less possibility of becoming so out of adjustment that the lighting means will fail to function.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention. then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain structure and mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various structural and mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through an apparatus constructed in accordance with certain principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through an apparatus similar to that illustrated in Fig. l but illustrating a modified form of construction of the means for feeding the candle upwardly through its associated holder; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3 taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 4-4; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of the feeding means for the candle; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of part of my invention, showing the means whereby a series of candles may be electrically ignited; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of part of my invention showing the means whereby the several candles of a group or series may be simultaneously or selectively extinguished; Fig. 8 is a View of adjacent ends of two of my improved candles; partly in cross-section; and Fig. 9 is a view of the lower end thereof.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Fig. 1, the device here illustrated consists generally of a candle holder base indicated at 1 upon which is supported a vertically extending tubular member 2 decorated so as to simulate a candle supported in the holder or base I. Positioned within the tubular member 2 and preferably concentric therewith is a candle-guiding tube or channel 3 which, at its upper end, is provided with stop fingers 4 adapted to engage the upper end of the candle for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained. The construction of the candle-guiding means 3 and its associated stop means 4 may be varied and supported in various ways.

As may be seen in Fig. 1, said tube 3 is open on one side as shown at 14, that a candle may be inserted therein. For the same purpose, a slot 9 is provided in the candle-like member 2.

Mounted adjacent a small opening in the wall of the tube 3 is a small pulley wheel 5 over which is passed a fine wire 6 one end of which passes downward between the tube 3 and the candle-like member 2 and the other end of which passes down within the tube 3 between the wall thereof and a candle placed therewithin. To this last 7 mentioned end is affixed an upwardly projecting tongue i2 carried by a candle supporting plate or cup I. Secured to said member I is a radially extending arm 8 which extends outwardly through the slots I4 and 9. This arm rises as the candle is burned indicating at all times the amount of candle unconsumed.

To the end of said wire which passes downward between the tube 3 and the candle-like member 2 is affixed a counterweight l3 bent to a U crosssection to loosely embrace the tube 3. For the insertion of a candle the cup .1 is drawn down against this counterweight l3 by means of the arm 8. It is evident that the counterweight I3 is effective at all times to draw the cup I upwardly so that the candle carried thereon is urged against the cup member 5 at the top of the tube 3, whereby the wick of such candle is maintained in proper relation to the other elements.

Associated with the aforementioned apparatus and for convenience, lying on the outside and to the rear of the holder l and the tubular section 2 is a conduit l6 which at its lower end is connected to a fluid supply pipe I? and at its upper end is is directed towards the wick l5. As clearly illustrated in Fig. '2, the conduit it may be enclosed in a housing [6' which is secured to and extends laterally and axially of the shell 2 where by the conduit I6 may be protected from injury and the general appearance of the apparatus improved.

Within the hollow conduit lli is an electrical conductor in the form of a wire I9 which, at its upper end, extends out of the conduit 18 as at 23 into the immediate proximity of the wick l5. Secured to the upper end of the casing 2 is a conductor member 2| which with the conductor member 20 forms two spaced electrodes between which a spark may be established for the purpose of igniting the wick l5. In order to permit a spark to be established, as above explained, it is necessary, of course, that the shell 2 or the electrode 25 supported thereby be properly grounded or connected to the other side of the power line to which the lead i9 is connected. The apparatus by which the arc may be established between the electrodes 20 and 2| and by which a series of candles may be ignited in sequence will be later explained in greater detail. However, the said electrode 2! is not used in the preferred forms of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 5 which contemplate use of a candle having a wick which is a conductor'of electricity. This wick makes electrical contact with the rod 6 in Fig. 3

which is grounded or connected to the other side of the power line to which the lead i9 is connected. In Fig. 5 the said wick l5 makes electrical contact with the threaded rod 29 which is similarly grounded or connected.

In this preferred form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the candle used has a wick which has been made electrically conductive by combining a strand of metal wire or a graphite rod with the cotton or other carbonaceous material usual in such wicks, or by impregnating a portion of the strands of such wick with graphite or other current conducting medium. Candles of beesvax may be molded with such special wicks in the way tallow candles are molded if the mold is lined with a thin lining of Cellophane, tinfoil or waxed paper, which lining may be removed from the candle, after it has solidified and been taken from the mold, without injury to the candle. Such a candle is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 with a wic :5 which as stated contains an electro-conductive element. An envelope 43 of Cellophane, tinfoil, or waxed paper surrounds such candle, having been placed as a lining in the mold in forming, that removal from the mold may be effected without injury to the wax of the candle.

In this preferred form of my invention it is important that the candle be always advanced to an extreme position against the stop means or cup member 4 that the wick may at all times be in position to cooperate with the electrode and permit an electric current to pass therebetween. To insure this registry I have devised improved feeds for advancing such candle which feeds will next be described.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is substantially identical with that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and hereinabove described with the exception of the means for resiliently moving the candle ill upwardly in its associated holder. In Figs. 3 and 4 there is supported on the bottom of the base I I a bracket member 22 which rotatably supports a screw shaft 23. The screw shaft 23 may be of any suitable construction and crosssection so long as helical ribs are provided whereby the nut 24 in threaded engagement therewith may be moved vertically relatively to' the base ii upon rotation of the screw 23. The nut 24 is provided with a lateral extension 25 to which the lower end of the spindle 5 is secured.

Mounted concentrically with the lower end of the screw shaft 23 is a clock-spring generally indicated at 26, the inner end of which is secured to the shaft 23 and the outer end of which is secured to the pin 2'! supported on the bracket 22. The lower end of the shaft 23 extends through the bracket 22 and terminates in a prismatic extension 28 for the reception of a suitable winding wrench or key by which the spring may be wound and'tensioned.

The spring 26 will normally be tensioned to urge the screwshaft 23 for rotation in such a direction as to urge the spindle 6 upwardly and consequently urge the candle l0 upwardly against the stop or cup member 4. 7

Instead of supporting the clock-spring 26 laterally with respect to the axis of the spindle 6 and driving such spindle upwardly by means of the nut 24 on the screwshaft 23, I may prefer to provide a threaded spindle 29 in place of the spindle 6, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In this last mentioned figure, a bracket 30 is secured to the lower face of the base ll. Rotatably supported in the lower arm of the bracket 30 is a nut 3| which is in threaded engagement with the shaft or spindle 29.

Mounted concentrically with the nut 3! is a clock-spring 32 which, at its inner end, is secured to'the nut 3| and at its outer end is secured to the bracket 30 in any suitable fashion, such as by a pin similar to 21 illustrated in Fig. 3, or by a loop formed on the end of the spring and hooked about the vertically extending portion of the bracket 30. The upper portion of the bracket 33 carries a pin 33 which terminates in an axially extending groove formed in the shaft 29 and by which such shaft is prevented from rotating.

Rotatably supported on the bracket 30 is a gear 34 which is in mesh with a pinion 35 formed on the hub of the nut 3|. The shaft 36 to which the gear 34 is secured may be provided with a thumb-screw extension 31 by which the gear 34 may be rotated. The spring 32 may be wound to any suitable degree of tension by first withdrawing the pin 33 from the groove in the spindle 29 and then rotating the thumb-screw 31 for any desired extent.

Regardless of the particular type of feeding or supporting means employed, I prefer, as previously indicated, to provide means for electrically igniting the candles and for extinguishing such candles by a blast of air. The means for accomplishing this purpose are diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, the former figure disclosing means whereby the candles may be ignited, and the latter disclosing the means whereby the candles may be extinguished.

Referring now, therefore, to Figs. 1 and 6, the device for igniting the candles will first be described and its mode of operation explained.

A transformer consisting generally of a primary winding 51, a secondary winding 58 and an iron core 59 is connected across a suitable source of electric power represented by the leads 60 and 6|. A switch 62 may be in series with the primary winding 51. The electrodes 20 and 2| most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 in their relationship to the candle or candles are respectively connected to the leads 63 and 64 from the secondary winding 58 of the transformer. A switch, generally indicated at 55 may be arranged in series with each of the electrodes 20. It will be understood that when my improved candle is used, the lead 64 will be electrically connected to the supporting element 6 or 29 (Figs. 3 and that the circuit may be completed through the wick of the candle and the electrode 20.

In order to ignite the several candles, it is only necessary to close the switches 65, whereupon the high voltage across the secondary winding 58 of the transformer will cause an arc to spring between the said electrodes. The heat of the arc is effective to ignite the wick of the candle and as soon as the flame is established, the switches 65 may be opened and the candle will continue to burn.

The means diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. '7 are effective to selectively extinguish any one or all of the candles which have previously been ignited as just described. As explained in connection with the description of Fig. 1, each of the candles has a hollow tube, generally indicated at 16 associated therewith, such tubes leading from the fluid pressure supply pipes 11. The several pipes I! will preferably be connected to a distributor, generally indicated at 66, which consists of a stationary outer shell 6'! provided with a plurality of radially extending apertures respecduits I1 and another radial aperture 68 for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

Positioned within the shell 61 and movable relative thereto is a plug or core 69 which is centrally provided with a passage 70 connected with any suitable source of fluid under pressure such as compressed air. The plug 69 has a radially extending passage H therein adapted to be selectively brought into alignment with the aperture 58 or the several apertures in the shell 61 which communicate with the conduits l'l.

A header 1'2 is provided which is connected to the aperture 68 in the shell 61 by means of the conduit 13 and to the several pipes I! by conduits, generally indicated at 74.

If the plug 69 is positioned relatively to its shell 61 so that the passage 'H lies intermediately between the opening 68 and the first opening connected to the pipe 11, no air will flow from the passage 1'0 to any of such last-named pipes. If the user of the apparatus desires to extinguish all of the candles simultaneously, he need simply turn the plug 69 in a counterclockwise direction to bring the passage H into communication with the passage 68. This will automatically result in a blast of air being projected from each of the conduits l6 extinguishing all of the candles at once. If it is desired to extinguish the candles in sequence instead of simultaneously, the user will rotate the plug clockwise to successively bring the passage ll into communication with the respective ports in the shell 61 which communicate with the several pipes 11.

A valve mi ht be provided in the line supplying the fluid under pressure to the passage and if such valve were provided, the user of the apparatus might extinguish any selected one of the several candles by the following procedure:- He would first close the valve leading to the passage lfl, whereupon he would rotate the plug 69 to bring the passage ll into alignment with the particular passage in the shell 61 through which and through its associated conduits I6 and I1 air may be delivered under pressure to the selected candle. After the plug 69 has been positioned in this manner, the operator will then open the valve admitting air to the passage 10 and extinguishing the selected candle.

It is to be understood that any suitable manipulating device such as a control knob may be provided for the purpose of rotating the plug 69 and such knob or any other suitable handle may have a dial associated therewith indicating the relationship between the passage H and the several ports in the shell 61. With such dial the operator may then determine the set of the plug 69 to selectively extinguish the candles in any of the modes above described.

That candles maybe burned continuously in my above described apparatus without the necessity of removing unburned stub ends I have improved the ordinary candles by using a woven tubular wick the lower end of which I ravel and spread over the lower end of a candle as shown in Fig. 9 wherein the separated strands of the wick are shown at l5. Further I have found it expedient to so form the lower end of a candle that it fit and partly encompass the upper end of a candle placed therebelow as shown in Fig. 8 wherein the surface 45 of the upper end of the lower candle is shown in contact with the formed surface 44 of the lower end of the upper candle. It will be seen that the frayed threads I5 of the wick in the upper candle will tively in communication with the several con engage the lower candle and the wick from. which they are separated firmly until said wick has communicated a flame to the wick of the lower candle.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that by means of the apparatus comprising this invention all of the previously mentioned objects of this invention may be attained by the use of means characterized by simplicity of construction and ease of operation.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

' I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:-

1 1. In an illuminating ornament two axially aligned telescoped tubes, a candle within the inner one of said tubes, vertically shiftably supporting means for said candle including means for urging said supporting means upwardly, ring-shaped stopping means for arresting the upward movement of said candle, said stopping means being arranged at the upper end of one of the telescoped tubes, and elongated openings in the side walls of both of said tubes permitting placing of a candle in said inner tube without removal of said stopping means.

2. An illuminating ornament as described in claim 1, wherein said shiftable supporting means include a pulley arrangement with a tubular counterweight sleeved upon said inner tube and guided between said inner and outer tubes.

' 3. An illuminating ornament comprising a tube decorated to simulate a candle having an elongated opening therein, an inner tube coaxial with said first tube having a similar opening in registry with the opening in said first tube, a ring-shaped stopping and sealing member atop said inner tube, shiftable means within said inner tube, a candle supported by said shiftable means, means urging said shiftable means and candle toward said stopping and sealing member,

electric igniting means adjacent to the wick of said candle for igniting same when current is passed through said electric means and a source of electric energy for said electric igniting means.

4. An illuminating ornament comprising a tube decorated to simulate a candle and having an extended substantially rectangular opening in one side thereof, an inner tube substantially co-axial with said first-named tube and having an extended, substantially rectangular opening in registry with the opening in said first-named tube, a restricted cup-shaped ring atop said inner tube, a carriage within said inner tube capable of supporting a candle held between said cup-shaped ring and said carriage, means urging said carriage toward said cup-shaped ring, a pair of electrodes mounted on said first-named tube and so positioned that the wick of a candle supported between said carriage and said cup-shaped ring will be in contact with an electric spark passed between said electrodes, and electromagnetic means establishing an arc at will between said electrodes.

5.'An illuminating ornament comprising a tube decorated to simulate a candle having an elongated opening therein, an inner tube co-axial with said first tube having a similar opening in registry with the opening in said first tube, a ring-shaped stopping and sealing member atop said inner tube, shiftable means within said inner tube, a. candle supported by said shiftable means, means urging said shiftable means and candle toward said stopping and sealing member, electric igniting means adjacent to the wick of said candle for igniting same when current is passed through said electric means, a source of electric energy for said electric igniting means, tubular means including a fluid discharge conduit terminating adjacent to the Wick of said candle and current conducting means extended through said tubular means and connecting said electric igniting means with said source of current.

JOHN M. POWERS. 

